before photoshop and at the height of Cold war tensions it was reported that 10 vessels from the "Red fleet" had surrendered at Trial Bay.....
AKA the day that Pat Riggs, The Macleay Argus and 2KM April fools day prank got just a little out of hand ๐
https://trove.nla.gov.au/people/775075?c=people
"She had a wicked sense of humour, no better illustrated than by the April Fools Day joke she played (with the help of editorial staff and local radio station 2KM) on April 1, 1969. At the height of Cold War tensions, Pat wrote a story about the arrival of the ten vessels from the Russian merchant fleet taking refuge at Trial Bay, on the coast near Kempsey.
Two hundred of the crew of the ship the Joker had jumped overboard, fearful that Australian authorities would shoot them as spies. Sailors from the pride of the fleet, the Looflirpa, planned to do the same.
The story was accompanied by a doctored photograph that featured pictures of Titanic, the Bounty and other highly recognisable vessels crammed into Trial Bay.
Unfortunately for Pat, the trick worked a too well.
Concerned citizens from around the district rushed to the scene, with clothes, blankets and food, to provide comfort to the deserters, only to find themselves duped. Representatives of the Salvation Army were particularly peeved to have spent the cost of a taxi fare and demanded reimbursement from the paper. Pat was forced to lay low for a while, but the story made news around the world and was reported in Poland and several South American countries."
Woops
The Pix Magazine from my collection is dated May 3 1969 and has some interesting other stories including this one on
Tony "Shane" Stedman who now lives back at Crescent Heads
The original creator of the "Ugh" (as spelt in the 1969 artcile) boot, Shane surfboards and Shane jeans.
He went to school at Kempsey.
Although he is a little older than me we still have the same group of "surfee" friends
